Dream, Dream, Dream
by FrauleinLydia5
Summary: [Sequel to "Can't Take My Eyes Off You"] Life after Kate and Kurama's marriage has been anything but kind to Team Urameshi. Kate suffers from horrific nightmares; Kurama vies with his demonic past; Yusuke and Keiko deal with a complicated pregnancy. But when a sinister threat rises in Makai, the whole group must put old and new hurts aside and fight together…before it's too late.


**Welcome to the continuation of Kate and Kurama's story!  
** **Song credit: Green Eyes by Coldplay**

 **Chapter One**

" _Honey, you are a rock_

 _Upon which I stand._

 _And I come here to talk._

 _I hope you understand…"_

Kate's eyes fluttered open as the radio played. She glanced at the clock, then looked over at the open window out onto a beautiful sunrise. _Eh, what does time mean here anyway?_

" _That green eyes…_

 _Yeah the spotlight shines upon you…_

 _And how could anybody deny you?"_

Kate stretched lazily, then turned to look at her other half. She tentatively brushed a few strands of hair from Kurama's face and tucked them behind his ear. The last time she'd done that, he'd woken with a start, grabbed her wrist and fixed her with a blind death glare. It faded quickly, but it was pretty scary. He apologized to beat the band the rest of the morning, until she was shooting him her own death glare.

This time, he jerked slightly, then breathed in deeply, opened his eyes, and smiled.

"You're beautiful."

She rolled her eyes and threw off the covers to stand up. Before she could get far, he took her hand. She pulled at him. "And you're insane. I look like an angry cat lady in the morning."

"No."

"Twelve cats, at least."

"You hate cats."

"All the more reason to be angry."

"I love you."

"Yeah, I love you, too." She let him pull her back into bed, where she snuggled into his arms. They spent a few minutes so occupied before she wriggled from his clutches and stood. "Okay, we're sorta wasting a day in paradise now."

"No day I spend with you is ever wasted."

Kate shook her head and turned to walk to the bathroom.

"What?" he called after her.

"You're such a sap." She switched on the light, grabbed a comb, and began tugging at her hair.

"Is that a bad thing?"

She yelped as his arms twined around her waist, and she glared at him over her shoulder.

"How are you that fast this _early_?"

Kurama repeated his question as he plucked the comb from her hand and set it on the sink. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Depends. Can you deliver on your cute little lines, sir?"

"Well, now." His husky murmur in her ear made her catch her breath. "Let's see."

He trailed kisses up and down her shoulder and let his hands wander where they would. Kate shivered, then squealed as Kurama swept her off her feet and moved to set her back on the bed.

"If it were up to you," she groaned, "we'd never leave this room."

"And I'd have no problem with that."

Kate cupped his face in her hands as he knelt over her. "Okay, fine, me neither."

He smiled and nuzzled her neck. "Because I'm just so irresistible."

Kate gasped as Kurama hooked a thumb in the waistband of her pajamas.

"R-remember what I said about those lines, Kurama."

"I do."

She giggled tremulously as his lips moved to her ear. "One."

She twined her fingers in his hair and closed her eyes.

"Two-"

His grip on her pants tightened.

"Three."

That voice. Kate's eyes snapped open to meet a gleaming silver pair; her hands gripped dirty emerald hair.

"No!" she gasped. " _No!_ You're-"

"Dead?" Xiro smoothly dodged a desperate punch and kick from Kate as she struggled to escape. "It's funny, isn't it?" He grabbed her wrists and forced them apart. "How things can change? And how _quickly_ they can-?"

"KURAMA!" shrieked Kate as she twisted towards the door. Another hand appeared from above and clapped over Kate's mouth.

Xiro looked up. "Thank you, Haya."

The demoness grinned down at Kate from her perch on the headboard. "Don't mention it."

Over the deafening buzzing growing in her head, Kate somehow heard a whisper. _Let me go, let me go, let me go, let me go-_

"Oh, I don't think so, Katherine. We both have scores to settle with you." With one swift movement, Xiro stabbed his two sets of claws through Kate's palms, pinning her to the bed. Blood spurted onto the sheets as his yell echoed through her mind, drowning out the buzzing, drowning out her scream. "You aren't going _anywhere!_ "

Kate sat bolt upright, scrabbling in the darkness for something, anything to hold on to.

"No, no, no, _no_ - _!_ "

"Kate? Kate!" Kurama took her by the shoulders. "Kate, calm down!"

Kate swung wildly at him; Kurama caught her arm. "I'm here, I'm right here-"

Kate wrenched herself away, scrambled up from the bed, and stumbled to the open window. She gripped the sill, then felt Kurama's arms wrapped tight around her waist.

"No, Kate. Just breathe. Breathe."

Kate struggled to get a full breath in.

"Another," whispered Kurama.

As Kate took another breath, Kurama loosened his hold on her waist and carefully turned her around. Kate took him in: his gentle face, his flaming red hair, his startlingly green eyes. Her own blue eyes welled up with tears; she laughed shakily and rubbed at them.

"You thought I was gonna jump."

Kurama dropped his gaze to the floor. Kate turned to look back out the window; the beach dozens of yards below was just beginning to blush with the first morning light.

"I thought something in you might," muttered Kurama behind her, "and it would take you with it."

Kate folded her arms across her chest and stared hard at the glittering bay beyond the sand. It was going to be another gorgeous day. She was on her…on _their_ honeymoon. She loved the guy standing behind her like nobody's business. So why wasn't she ridiculously happy right now?

 _Dreams like that every other night might have something to do with it._

She could feel Kurama looking at her, and turned to see him holding out a hand. She took it, but he didn't move.

"Where are we going?" he asked softly.

Kate bit her lip for a moment, thinking, then led Kurama to the bed and sat on its edge. He sat next to her and took her hand in both of his.

"Is it always just those two? In the dreams?"

"They're regulars. And-" Kate gulped as the details of the dream washed over her. She almost looked at Kurama…she almost said it. _"You were there, too."_ That was the first time that had happened.

 _No. Not ready to tell. Might never be._

He was still looking at her. She cleared her throat and continued.

"Sometimes…Paul's there." She glanced sideways at Kurama; if he'd flinched, she'd missed it. "They do things to him." She started to shiver. "They make me watch."

"Paul's gone on, Kate. He's safe."

Kate hastily wiped away a stray tear. "I know, Kurama."

"And so are you."

Kate shook her head, then winced as Kurama let go of her hand. _Ah, fuck._ Kate watched him stand and make his own journey to the window, wondering when he would say it. _Three, two, one-_

"You think I can't protect you."

 _Right on cue._ Kate rested her chin in her hand, too exhausted not to recite the next line.

"You can't be everywhere at once."

"I know that."

Kate stood, straightening her tank top. "And I can take care of myself."

"Not with what we're up against."

"I _know_ what we're up against. You've told me."

"Telling isn't the same as-"

She turned towards the bathroom. "Forget it, Kurama, let's just-"

 _BAM._ Kate jumped and sat back hard on the bed; Kurama had slammed the window shutters closed. The room sizzled in the sudden darkness. "You don't," he whispered savagely.

This wasn't in the script. Kate picked up her feet and scooted backwards on the bed as she heard Kurama step towards her.

"What I've seen…what I've fought-"

"Kurama."

"You stupid girl-"

"Kurama!"

"You know _nothing_!"

Kate clapped both hands over her mouth to muffle a scream. Silence. "Yoko?" she whispered.

The shutters flew back open; Kurama's familiar silhouette stood starkly against the light. Kate let out a sob of relief as he rushed to the bed.

"I'm sorry-"

"It's okay-"

"It's not, I was-"

"It's really okay."

Kurama knelt in front of Kate on the bed. She stared at him, wondering why he was looking at her like she was a mental patient; she suddenly realized that she was sitting with her arms locked around her knees, rocking back and forth. She quickly pried herself apart and sat cross-legged facing him.

"Just an overreaction. From both of us. Everything's fine." She tried to smile, then began to shiver again. "Everything's fine." It was no good; Kate resumed her position with arms around her knees as the tears started flowing.

"Everything's fine, right?"

Kurama didn't move, didn't blink. Kate hid her face in her arms.

 _FUCK._

Kurama leaned forward, gently raised her chin to have her look at him, then took her face in his hands. "He's never coming back. _Never_."

"He's part of you."

"He's separate from me, a totally different-"

"But-"

"I've left him behind-"

"How can I know that?"

"Kate, you married _me_!"

Kate couldn't bring herself to answer. Kurama stared at her for what seemed like an eternity; she'd never seen him look so lost. He finally dropped his hands to rest on his knees and looked away.

"You can't go back and change him," said Kate. "Or…you. Or whatever. He got there first. I get it."

Kurama opened his mouth to respond; Kate shook her head. "You're right. I don't get it. Sorry. I just want to understand."

"You can't understand."

"Yeah, I know. And…that's fine."

Kurama growled in his throat. "I hate him."

"Whoa, don't go saying stuff like that. He might hear you."

Kurama put his face in his hands; Kate winced again, shifted to her knees, and put her hands on his waist.

"Shit, I didn't mean…it's just that he's saved you before. Hell, he's saved me before. Without him, we'd both be dead and not living it up on the coast of Roatan, okay?"

"Only because I couldn't do it on my own. I couldn't save myself, couldn't save you, on my own. I let him near you, I let him touch you-"

"But I married you." Kate touched Kurama's face. "I did. I know that. And that's…that's what's important."

Kurama closed his eyes and held Kate's hand against his cheek. Kate wiped the tears from his face with her other hand before wiping her own away.

"Look at us. Two honeymooners crying like this with a beach outside. What the fuck, right?"

Kurama cracked a small smile, then opened his eyes. He leaned forward to kiss his wife.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

Kurama smiled wider at Kate; her heart couldn't help but skip a beat. He shrugged and turned his head to kiss the hand he still held. "Many things." He kissed her wrist, then moved up a few inches to kiss her forearm. Kate could feel the color in her cheeks rising as she smiled herself.

"You're welcome."

Kurama kissed the inside of her elbow, then stole a glance at Kate; despite her own widening grin, she sighed and rolled her eyes.

"If you must."

"I must," now he was at her shoulder- "And I want to," –he'd made it to her neck- "And I will."

"After all," said Kate, "You _did_ marry me."

"That I did," he muttered from near her collarbone.

"I have needs."

"Oh, I know."

"And you've got, y'know, a duty to do."

She could feel him smile against her chest. "The best duty imaginable."

Kate grabbed Kurama by his nightshirt, laid back and pulled him on top of her.

"So stop messing around and get to it, will ya?"

He kissed her hard, then whispered in her ear.

"Gladly."

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

Kurama and Kate looked at the bedside table, then at each other.

"He said he wouldn't call us unless it was life or death, right?" said Kate.

"I've known Koenma for a while; we can't bank on that."

"Why'd we bring that thing, anyway?"

"A streak of masochism?"

"Ha."

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

Kurama looked at the drawer, then back down at Kate. "It's up to you."

"Oh, great. Put the life-or-death thing on me."

They both sat up. Kate pulled her hair over her shoulder; Kurama tapped his fingers on the table.

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

"All right," sighed Kate. She gestured to the drawer, and Kurama moved to open it. "As Yusuke would say: this better be good, toddler."


End file.
